Grinding machinery



J. E. CASTER GRINDING MACHINERY Sept. 8, 1931.

Filed July 12. 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 lll-llllllll Illllll! Sept. 8, 1931. J. E. CASTER 1, 2,

GRINDING MACHINERY Filed. July 12; 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Him J7 I I flwmmtoz Patented Sept. 8, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE JOHN E. OA STEB, OI CINCINNATI, OHIO, .ASSIGNOR TO CINCINNATI GRINDEBS INCOR- PORATED, OF CINCINNATI, OHIO, A CORPORATION 01 OHIO eanmmo momma! Application filed 31117 13,

This invention relates to improvements in grinding machinery and has particular reference to an improvedstructure particularly adapted for the use in grinding of bars or other long cylindrical articles.

The prime object of the present invention is the provision of a structure particularly applicable for use in conjunctlon Wltli), a centerless grinding machine which will facilitate the accurate handling and proper feeding of long or heavy work pieces axially through the machine,

A further object of the invention is the provision of means for supplementing the friction grip of the regulating wheel in imparting the feed components to the work at the same time reduce the liability of sllppage between work and regulating wheel.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention should be readily apparent by reference to the following specification taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be understood that any structural modifications may be made within the scope of the appended claims without departing from or exceeding the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a centerless grinder embodying the present, improvements.

Figure 2-is a view partially in elevatio and partially in section taken as on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional view through one of the work engaging members and the supports therefor.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section as on line 4-4 of Figure 1, and

Figure 5 is an enlarged plan View of one of the adjustable work engaging members.

Figure 6 is a detail view of a modified form of roll support.

In the drawings the numeral 10 designates the bed of a centerless grinding machine provided with the grinding wheel 11 journalled in the bearings 12 and driven as from the attached motor 13. This wheel is operated at a high or grinding rate of speed as for example 5,000 feet Surface Speed per minute and in a clockwisedirection as the ma- 1927. Serial I... 2:05.219.

chine is viewed from the left, Figure 1, so that 1ts grmdmg face moves downwardly at its point of engagement with the work 14.

engaging portion -moves in a direction 0 posite that of the adjacent face of the grin ing wheel. This regulating wheel is preferably supported on slide 19 adjustable toward. and from the work as by control wheel 20. It is rotated at a slow rate of speed and serves to frictionally engage and control the rate of rotation of the work. Incidentall it is ordinarily set at an angle to the axis 0 the work, so that it exerts a diagonal thrust provlding a feed component tendin to urge the work axially through the mac ine.

To support the work during its grinding in the case of long bars or the like, use is made of a special bracket frame 21 secured to theslide 19 and movable therewith as the regulating wheel unit is adjusted.

This bracket is centrally formed with a recess or relieved portion 22 in which is slidabiiy mounted a work rest blade 23. Vertical a justment for proper engagement with the work may be im arted to this work blade as through the we ge mechanism indicated at. 24. i

The ends of the bracket are provided with sockets 25 to receive the extension guide rods 26 laterally projecting at both sides of the machine for engagement with the work prior The parts 26 have mounted thereon a plurality of bracket blocks 29 having the ways 30 for the Work contact slides 31. These latter may be secured in adjusted position on the bracket as by the clamp screws 32. Slides 31 are formed with the offset lug portions 33 receiving sleeves 34. Sleeves 34 in turn house the radial bearings 35 and thrust bearing 36 on spindle 37 supporting the spindle for free rotative movement and against binding on axial pressure thereagainst. The outer end of the spindle carries the frustro conical work engaging head 38 provided with a depending flange portion 39 overlying the reduced end 40 of the sleeve 34 to protect the sleeve from grit, abrasive or liquid tending to injure the contained bearings. This action is supplemented by the packing washer 41 at the forward end and by the screw plug closure 42 at the opposite end of the sleeve. This latter serves to retain in place the spindle and its supporting bearings as clearly illustrated in Figure 3. By reference to the drawings it will be noted that there are a plurality of units each having the frustro conical cap 38, the units being disposed in staggered relation for engaging the underside and opposite or lateral portions of the work, so that the same is held in proper alinement with the work rest and grinding throat both vertically and laterally. As a result it is accurately introduced between the grinding and regulating wheel and with equal accuracies led away from these wheels insuring work of correct diameter, roundness and straightness.

The members 38 at the sides are so disposed that the work engages a non-radial line thereon in such manner that the spinning or rotating movement imparted to the work by the pressure in the same direction of the grinding wheel and regulating wheel thereagainst causes the frustro conical cap members to exert a forward feeding component in connection with their rotation. The members are so designed as to exert an equal or greater component in this direction than does the regulating wheel itself, so that they fully supplement the action of this wheel in aiding the speed of the work through the machine.

With reference to the drawings it is to be noted that it is of course quite feasible to -impart an in and out adjustment to the lateral members by loosening of clamp 32 and sliding same inward into proper engagement with the work. To facilitate a corresponding adjustment of the bottom or work supporting guide roll this member is preferably slidable through an aperture as at 43 in the bracket 29 and is adjusted and locked in place as by headed screw 44.

To augment additionally the grip between regulating wheel and work, there is preferably utilized a supplemental pressure roll such as shown in Figure 4. Rising from the main bracket 21 is an ear 45 to which is pivoted as at 46 the pressure arm 47 bearing work contacting roller 48. This roller is urged in the direction of the work piece 14 as y spring 49 mounted on limiting screw 50. This latter is in, threaded engagement with lug 51, the spring 49 being interposed between the lug and .lower end 0f the lever, while the screw has a ball head 52 interengaged with the outer face of the lever and extends through the conical aperture 53, which allows of suitable play of the roll but limits its inward urge. It will thus be noted that this roller may be set to exert a constant pressure of the work against the regulating wheel while the roll itself is permanently tilted or set at an angle so that as it rolls against the work it will have a corresponding feed component to that of the regulating wheel. On account of the fact that this member is disposed adjacent the grinding wheel it will be noted that it is tilted in the opposite direction from the direction of tilt of the regulating wheel.

Figure 6 shows a modified form of sup port for the member 38 in that the sleeve 34' is slidable in the secondary sleeve 54 being adapted to be clamped in adjusted position as by set screw 55. This permits of in and out adjustment of the sleeve as desired. In addition, the sleeve 54 is capable of swivelling movement on the bracket 56 which is supported for longitudinal sliding movement on the guides 26. Thus the device as an entirety may be longitudinally adjusted, the position of thesupport angularly varied to chan e the point of contact and given in and out a justment according to size and to compensate for variance of position on account of the angling or tilting movement.

I claim 1. A centerless grinding machine of the character described, including a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a bracket intermediate said wheels, the grinding wheel being adapted to be rotated in the direction of the bracket at a high or grinding rate of speed and the regulating wheel being adapted to rotate with its operative face moving in a direction away from the bracket at its point of opposition to the grinding wheel, said bracket having a central recess to receive a work rest member, a work rest adjustably mounted within the recess, the bracket extending laterally to one side of the wheels and terminating in a socketed portion, guide supports carried by the socketed portion, and work engaging members mounted on said guide supports for supporting and guiding the work piece into the grinding throat. 1

2. A centerless grinding machine of the character described, including a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a bracket in termediate said wheels, the grinding wheel being adapted to be rotated in the direction 1 of opposition to the grinding wheel, said bracket having a central recess to receive a work rest member, a work rest adjustablymounted within the recess, the bracket extending laterally to one side of the wheels and terminating in a socketed portion, guide supports carried by the socketed portion, and

Vwork engaging members mounted -on said guide supports for supporting and guiding the work piece into the grinding throat, said work enga 'ng members including frustro conical wor contacting members disposed to exert a feeding component on the work as they are rotated thereby.

3. A cent-erless grinding machine of the character described, including a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a bracket intermediate said wheels, the grinding wheel being adapted to be rotated in the direction of the bracket at a high or grinding rate of a speed and the regulating wheel being adapted to rotate with its operative face moving in a direction away from the bracket at its point of opposition to the grinding wheel, said bracket having a central recess to receive a work rest member, a work rest adjustably' mounted within the recess, the bracket extending laterally to one side of the wheels and terminating in a socketed portion, guide supports carried by the socketed portion, and work engaging members mounted on said guide supports for supporting and guiding the work piece into the grinding throat, said work engaging members including a sleeve, a frustro conical work contacting member disposed to exert a feeding component on'the work as theyare rotated thereby a spindle extending from the contacting member, and antifrictionmeans within the sleeve supporting the spindle of said frustro conical contact member for free rotation.

4. A centerless grinding machine of the character described, including a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a bracket intermediate said whcels, the grinding Wheel being adapted to be rotated in the directionof the bracket at a high or grinding rate of speed and the regulating wheel being adaptcdto rotate with its operative face moving in a direction away from the bracket at its point of opposition to the grinding wheel, said bracket having a central recess to receive a work rest member, a work rest adjustably mounted within the recess, the bracket extending laterally to one side of the wheels and terminating in a socketed portion, guide supports carried by the socketed poILIOIl, work engaging members mounted on said guide supports for supporting and guiding the work piece into the grinding throat, said work engaging members including frustro conical work contacting members disposed to exert a feeding component on the work as they are rotated thereby, antifriction means supporting said frustro conical contact members for free rotation, and additional means for insuringproper engagement between regulating wheel and work, including a pressure roll disposed in opposition to the regulating wheel and means for urging the pressure roll against the work in a direction toward said wheel. g

5. A centerless grinding machine of the character described, including a grinding wheel, a regulating wheel and a bracket in-- termediate said wheels, the grinding wheel being adapted to be rotated in the direction of the bracket at a high or grinding rate of speed and the regulating wheel being adapted to rotate with its operative face moving in a direction away from the bracket at its point of opposition to the grinding wheel, said bracket having a central recess to receive a work rest member, a work rest adjustably mounted within the recess, the bracket extending laterally to one side of the wheels and terminating in a socketed portion, guide supports carried by the socketed portion, work engaging members mounted on said guide supports for supporting and guiding the work piece into the grinding throat, said work engaging members including frustro conical work contacting members disposed to exert a feeding'component on the work as they are rotated thereby, antifriction means supporting said frustro conical contact members for freerotation, means for insuring proper engagement between regulating wheel and work. including a pressure roll disposed in opposition to the regulating wheel, means for urging the pressure roll against the work in a. direction toward said wheel, and means for limiting the movement of the pressure roll in the direction of the work.

6. A centerless grinder including a work rest. a grinding wheel disposed adjacent the Work rest and having its operative face moving in the direction of the rest to perform a grinding operation on a piece of work when supported by the rest. a regulating wheel disposed at the opposite side of the rest and having its operative face movable in a direction away from the rest at a slow rate of speed to control the rate of rotation of a work piece, said wheels having parallel axes whereby the grinding wheel exerts a grinding action only, and the regulating wheel exerts a work con trolling action only, and means for causing feeding movement of work within the machine comprising a freely rotatable member frictionally engaging the work and having its axis disposed at an acute angle to the axis of the Work and adapted to be frictionally rotated by engagement of the work therewith whereby said member will cause an automatic feeding movement of the work through the machine.

7. The combination with a centerless grinder including a bed, a grinding and a regulating wheel carried thereby, of a. bracket member for application thereto having a work rest blade supporting portion and a lateral socketed portion, a work support guide interfitting with said socketed portion, and an outer work support adjustably mounted on the guide and projecting into position to co-operate with a work rest blade in positioning a work piece between the wheels.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. JOHN E. CASTER. 

